The Windows 11 era is official and the operating system is already released to all users in a stable version, that is, you can now download and install the new system on your PC. One of the most versatile ways to use Microsoft’s OS is to install it on a bootable flash drive and take your Windows 11 elsewhere. This is the main advantage of having the software installed on physical media and being able to use it wherever it is needed. The procedure is not difficult, see below how to do it.
Requirements
Before starting the installation, you need to make sure that you have what it takes to create a USB flash drive with Windows 11.
You will need:
- An empty flash drive with at least 8 GB of space. You will need to format the flash drive, as it needs to be 100% clean;
- Internet connection;
- License for Windows 11 or have Windows 10 eligible for Windows 11 upgrade;
- Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool, which you can find here:
Download Windows 11.
Create a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 11
With Microsoft tools, you can easily create a bootable flash drive with Windows 11 to access via a USB port on your PC. See how:
- Download Microsoft’s media creation tool from the website; The tool is required for creating physical media with Windows 11; just click on “Download now”;
- Open the media creation tool; You must have an administrator profile to run it;
- Read the terms and if you agree, accept; Click on “Accept”;
- Select your operating system language; The language needs to be the same as the previous one to work smoothly;
- Select the system architecture; The architecture required for Windows 11 is 64-bit;
- Select the media you want to use; Connect a USB flash drive; keep in mind that any content on the device will be deleted;
- Select the downloaded Windows 11 file; The authoring tool will have downloaded it to your flash drive;
- Run the program and wait for the media creation to finish; When finished, you will have Windows 11 on your flash drive;
To install Windows 11 from your pen drive, you will need to connect it to the PC you want to update to the new operating system and restart. To boot from the USB device, the computer must be configured to boot from the USB port.
To change this setting, as soon as you turn on the computer, press the key (F2, F12 or Del or Esc) which will vary for each manufacturer. In the boot options, select the connected USB device and start again. The Windows 11 installation page will appear and you must click “Next” to proceed.